Indian student killed in Kharkiv in Russian shelling
Highlights
- The MEA on Tuesday informed that an Indian student has been killed in Ukraine.
- As per MEA, the student lost his life to Russian shelling in Kharkiv.
- The MEA is in touch with the family of the student.
An Indian student has lost his life in Russian shelling in Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed. The deceased student has been identified as Naveen Shekharappa. A native of Karnataka, Naveen was a fourth-year MBBS student. He was killed in a missile attack targeting the state administration building in Kharkiv on Tuesday morning around 8 AM (IST).
PM Narendra Modi, Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai spoke with Naveen's father. "All efforts will be made to bring back Naveen's body to India. The matter is being negotiated with foreign ministry officials", said CM Bommai, informed Karnataka CMO.
Reports suggest that Naveen had taken shelter along with 300 others at an underground bunker in Kharkiv following heavy shelling from the Russian forces. He had gone outside today morning to arrange food when a Russian missile struck the state administration building here.
"With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family," tweeted MEA spokesperson Arindam Baghchi.
Baghchi said that Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate "our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones". Similar action is also being undertaken by our Ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine, he said.
Also Read: 'Leave urgently today': Indian Embassy's latest advisory as Russian forces close in on Kyiv
Kharkiv, one of the war zones in the eastern part of Ukraine, shares the country's border with Russia. The Kharkiv city is approximately 400 kms away from the Poland border on the Western part of Ukraine. Poland is one of the countries from where India is airlifting its citizens who are stranded in war-torn Ukraine following the closure of airspace. It is believed that about 8,000 Indian students had enrolled themselves in medical colleges in Kharkiv.
Today is the sixth day of the Russian attack. India has reached out to both Russia and Ukraine seeking safe passage for its nationals to the western borders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier dialled Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to appeal for resolving their differences through talks and accorded top priority to the safety and returns of Indians living in the two countries, especially in Ukraine that has come under attack from Moscow which Putin wants to demilitarise.
